Convertible tops for vehicles have a wide variety of designs, including soft tops, hard tops, manually operated tops, power operated tops, and other designs. A convertible top typically includes a top linkage assembly including roof elements that either define or support an outer surface of the top when it is in an extended position. Significant effort goes into the design of the linkage assembly to satisfy design goals such as compact packaging of the linkage assembly in the retracted position; secure, stable and aesthetic positioning of the roof elements in the extended position; and rapid and reliable movement of the linkage assembly between the extended and retracted positions.
The entire top assembly is often heavy and requires significant force to move the system between the retracted and extended positions. Some systems include actuators for moving the linkage assembly and its associated latching assemblies while other linkage assemblies are designed to be manually operated. It is desirable to reduce the amount of force necessary to move the top in one or both directions, and significant effort is often invested in designing the linkage assembly so as to reduce the force necessary at particular points in the movement and throughout the overall movement. However, there remains a need for improved systems for reducing the force that must be applied to the linkage assembly either by actuators or during manual operation.